Portfolio made of paper



Dec. 25, 1962 w, J, LUTWACK 3,070,279

' PORTFOLIO MADE OF PAPER Filed April 21; 1959 ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiiice 3,070,279 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 3,070,279 PGRTFOLIO MADE OF PAPER Wiiton J. Lutwaek, 701 Seneca Sh, Bufialo, N.Y. Filed Apr. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 807,792 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-72) This invention relates to a portfolio for holding papers, pads, pencils, rulers and the like in pockets and more particularly to such a portfolio made of paper so as to be low in cost and which is particularly adapted for use by students or by professional people.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a low cost, light-weight, compact and durable portfolio particularly adapted for school and commercial use to replace bulky ring binders, work envelopes and the like.

Another important object is to provide such a portfolio which not only avoids the likelihood of loss of papers r other contents while being carried but also avoids the danger of the contents being displaced from the pockets when the portfolio is opened and closed in use.

Another object is to make the portfolio of a single, printed diecut sheet of high quality paper having high tear and burst strength and minimum hygroscopicity and on which can be print d school or fraternal insignia or advertisements as well as blank forms adapted for use in setting out class schedules and other data.

Another object is to provide such a portfolio which includes an outer clearly transparent layer, lamina or sheet made of plastic and which is smooth and glossy, has a high tear strength and is highly resistive to moisture, scuffing and abrasion.

Another object is to provide such a portfolio in which this outer clearly transparent layer, lamina or sheet eX tends around folded margins of the portfolio to afford increased strength and wearing qualities at the margins and to strengthen the pockets that are formed along certain of the margins.

Another object is to provide a portfolio in which all pockets are fully sealed at three sides, especially the bottom pocket.

Another object is to provide such pockets which are exceptionally strong against tearing or break-through at the ends of their mouths.

, Another object is to provide such a portfolio in which the pockets lay flat Without bulge when empty as the portfolio is folded and unfolded.

Another object is to provide such a portfolio which can be made with production printing, laminating, diecutting, scoring, gluing, folding and sealing equipment so as to avoid any substantial amount of hand labor in making the portfolios.

Another object is to provide such a portfolio having parts glued together and in which the glue is applied to one face only of the paper blank from which the portfolio is made.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan, view of the reverse side of a diecut paper blank showing the score lines along which the blank is to be folded and also showing the areas to which glue is applied for sealing the portfolio as a part of the folding.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a completed portfolio embodying the invention, viewed from the inside thereof.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a partly opened completed portfolio showing, in dotted lines, the manner in which the pockets can be used to contain papers or other materials.

To provide a low cost portfolio an important feature of the invention is that it is made from a single sheet 10 of paper which is diecut to form the blank illustrated in FIG. 1 and is also provided with score lines as hereinafter described to facilitate folding the blank into the form of a portfolio. The paper sheet 10 is preferably of high quality paper having high tear and burst strength with minimum hydroscopicity and there can be imprinted thereon any desired ornamentation or useful blanks or data (not shown). The blank sheet 10 has four score lines 11, 12, 13, 14 defining a rectangular front cover panel 15 and has four score lines 13, 16, 17 and 18 defining a rectangular rear cover panel 19, the score line 13 being common to both panels and providing the hinge in opening and closing the portfolio.

The line 17 also forms one margin of a flap 20 which forms a vertical side pocket along the outer edge of the rear cover panel 19. The longitudinal free edge21 of this flap forms the mouth of this pocket and its shorter edges 22, 23 preferably converge toward the outer edge 21 to facilitate the folding and gluing operation.

The score line 14 and adjacent part of the score line 18 form one margin of a flap 25 which forms a bottom pocket for the-front panel 15 of the portfolio, the free longitudinal edge 26 of this flap forming the mouth of the pocket. One side of this pocket is provided by an edge 28 which preferably converges outwardly with reference to the hinge :13 of the book. The remaining margin of the flap 25 is formed by a score line 29 which forms a continuation of the hinge line 13 but is arranged at an angle to this hinge line. This angularity is in the order of 3 with reference to the hinge line 13 toward the edge 28 of the flap 25. This particular angularity has been found essential in providing a bottom pocket closed on three sides and which lies flat when the portfolio is closed along its hinge line 13.

The flap 25 is continued beyond the score line 29 to provide an extension'30 extending transversely of the flap and to provide an extension 31 projecting along and forming a flap at the bottom of the back cover panel 19. The extensions or flaps 30 and 31 are provided with stripes 32, 33 of glue or other adhesive, this adhesive being on the back of the blanks.

The blank includes a single top flap 34 extending outwardly from the score lines 12 and 16 and forming a common upward continuation of the front and rear panels 15, 19 of the portfolio. This outward extension 34 is provided, on the reverse face of the blank, with a stripe 35 of glue or other adhesive.

The paper blank is completed by a side flap 38 projecting outwardly from the score line 11 and forming a continuation of the front panel 15 of the portfolio. This extension is provided, on the reverse side of the blank, with a stripe 39 of glue or other adhesive.

A most important feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an outer clearly transparent layer, lamina or sheet 40 made of plastic and which is smooth and glossy, has high tear strength and is highly resistive to moisture, scufiing and abrasion and which extends around all margins of the portfolio. For this purpose this clearly transparent plastic lamina 40 extends part way across the flap 38 as illustrated at 41 in FIGS. 2 and 3 and this clearly transparent lamina also extends part way across the flap 20 as illustrated at 42 in FIGS. 2 and 3. This clearly transparent plastic lamina also extends across the top flap 34 as illustrated at 43 in FIGS. 2 and 4 and this lamina also extends across the flap 31 and part way across the flap 25 as indicated at 44 in FIGS. 2 and 4. Theclearly transparent layer or lamina 49 covers the entire obverse faces of the front and rear cover panels 15 and 19 and strengthens the hinge connection 13 between these panels.

With the blank formed and glued as shown in FIG. 1 and as above described the blank is folded as follows,

this being done in a conventional folding machine as a continuous operation.

The flap 20 is first folded along the fold line 17 to bring it against the inside face of the rear panel 19. The bottom fold 25, together with its extensions 30, 31 is then folded along the fold lines 14, 18 and its glue 32 and 33 brought into adhesive relation with the inside face of the back panel 19 and also the face of the fold 20. The top flap 34 is then folded along the fold line 12, 16 so as to bring its glue facing 35 into adhesive relation with the inside faces of the front and rear panels 15, 19 as well as with the flap 20. The flap 33 is then folded along its fold line 11 so as to bring its glue facing 39 adhesively into contact with the inside face of the front panel 15 as well as with the flaps 25 and 34.

When this is done, by virtue of the fact that the fold line 29, while a continuation of the hinge line 13, but being at a slight angle thereto, the pocket formed by the flap 25 does not bulge or distort when the portfolio is folded along its hinge 13.

It will be noted that in the completed portfolio the plastic lamina 40 extends around all four edges of the portfolio as indicated at 41, 42, 43 and 44 so as to form a reinforcement at these edges. It will also be noted that the flap 20 forms the side pocket for the back panel 19 which pocket is of substantial length and will hold articles with little danger of loss since it has been found normal to open the portfolio in the manner of a book, that is, with the rear panel 19 being left on the surface of the table and the front panel 15 lifted. It will further be seen that the panel 25 forms a bottom pocket on the front panel 15 of the portfolio which securely holds any papers placed therein against loss under any normal carrying condition of the book. At the same time the portfolio is of very low cost, while at the same time having outstanding wearing qualities and usefulness.

What is claimed is:

A portfolio adapted to open like a book, comprising (A) a single sheet of paper folded to provide (a) a first rectangular panel,

(b) a second rectangular panel connected to said first rectangular panel by a first fold line forming a hinge and said panels jointly having a pair of companion bottom edges which form linear continuations of each other across said first fold line,

(a) a relatively wide side pocket flap forming an extension of the vertical side edge of said second panel and folded along said vertical side edge of said second panel over the inside face of said second panel,

(d) a single bottom flap forming an extension of said companion bottom edges of both said panels and having a fold line forming a continuation of said first fold line, said single bottom flap having a bottom pocket portion which is relatively wide in the direction of said fold lines and is folded alOng said companion bottom edges over the inside face of said first panel and also the bottom portion of the inside face of said second panel bordering said first fold line and said single bottom flap also having a relatively narrow portion in the direction of said fold lines folded over the inside face of said second panel and also over the bottom of said side pocket flap,

(e) a relatively narrow side flap forming an extension of the vertical side edge of said first panel, and folded along said last mentioned side edge over the inside face of said first panel and also over the adjacent end of said relatively wide bottom pocket portion of said bottom flap, and

(f) a relatively narrow top flap forming an extension of the top edge of said second panel and folded along said top edge over the inside face of said second panel and also over the top end of said relatively wide side pocket flap,

(B) a layer of glue uniting the face of said relatively wide bottom pocket portion of said bottom flap to the opposing face of said second panel,

(C) a layer of glue uniting the face of said relatively narrow portion of said bottom flap to the opposing faces of said side pocket flap and of said second panel,

(D) a layer of glue uniting the face of said relatively narrow side flap to the opposing faces of said relatively wide bottom pocket portion of said bottom flap and of said first panel, and

(E) a layer of glue uniting the face of said top flap with the opposing faces of said relatively wide side pocket flap and of said second panel,

said relatively wide bottom pocket portion of said bottom flap thereby providing a bottom pocket extending substantially the full width of said first panel and said relatively wide side pocket flap thereby providing a side pocket extending substantially the full height of said second panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 900,751 Lockwood Oct. 13, 1908 970,399 Sawyer Sept. 13, 1910 1,663,171 Osborn Mar. 20, 1928 1,858,631 Osborn May 24, 1932 2,067,119 Ellner Jan. 5, 1937 2,390,864 Bayley Dec. 11, 1945 2,568,941 Benson Sept. 25, 1951 2,788,041 Carver Apr. 9, 1957 2,886,907 Stephenson May 19, 1959 

